View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain DealerThis might not have been Jared Gaither's finest moment as an NFL tackle, as Kamerion Wimbley chased after Baltimore's Joe Flacco in 2009. But the four-year veteran has 33 starts in the league, and will be 26 in the 2012 season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Right tackle. My free-agent shopping list for the Browns begins right there, and it did even before the Browns cut Tony Pashos.

Pashos has started only 16 games (played in 23) at that position in the last three years, and never was close to healthy -- he played through a lot of pain. I write this knowing the free agent market for tackles is weak, and that I'm clueless when it comes to judging who'd be the best right tackle for the Browns. Very few media people and fans really do know what a good right tackle looks like, although few (especially in the media) will admit it.

Some free agents are Jared Gaither (major back problems in 2010), Demetrius Bell (shoulder problems in 2011) and Geoff Schwartz (missed 2011 with hip problems). Some scouts like Schwartz, because he's only 25. In 2010, he started 16 games for Carolina, five at right tackle, 11 at guard. The Bengals' Anthony Collins is another name mentioned.

The bottom line is the Browns must find a legitimate right tackle with some experience, unless they plan to take Matt Kalil with the No. 4 pick. Doing something such as moving Jason Pinkston from left guard to right tackle is probably not an option, as the Browns like him better at guard.

No matter who plays quarterback, right tackle must be repaired.

So here is my list:

1. Right tackle.

2. Linebacker.

3. Wide receiver.

4. Running back.

5. Defensive back.

It's fun to play the free-agent game when it comes to skill positions, and it's possible the Browns may chase quarterback Matt Flynn. A wiser course is to use free agency to fill in the line and linebacker.

They do need a defensive end, but it's easy to imagine General Manager Tom Heckert finding another 250-pound draft gem such as Jabaal Sheard to play in his 4-3 defense. Heckert likes drafting those guys and believes they can play right away.

Linebacker is another story. Middle linebacker D'Qwell Jackson played every snap and just signed a contract extension. Chris Gocong played on one side, Scott Fujita the other. Gocong also signed an extension. Fujita is signed for 2012, but he's finished the last three years on the injured list and has missed 19 games since 2009. He'll be 33 in April and could face suspension from the New Orleans "bounty-gate" scandal. But even if he's cleared to play, is there any reason to assume he'll stay healthy for most of the season?

The Browns say they were pleased with Kaluka Maiava, but a linebacker group of Maiava, Jackson, Gocong and Fujita seems to scream for one more legitimate player in the mix.

Minnesota's Erin Henderson is an outside linebacker on the market, and he's well known to new Browns offensive coordinator Brad Childress. There are other candidates, and they should be able to find someone.

Running back? From the moment Peyton Hillis talked about wanting to return and then returned to his original agent, I've thought he's coming back. We'll see, but he makes a lot of sense at the right price -- and his market value should be down after last season. They also could draft a back if Hillis signs elsewhere.

Yes, they need receivers. A good plan would be to draft a receiver and sign a free agent -- they need two. Pierre Garcon should be near the top of the list because of his age (25) and his big play ability. I see the Browns looking more at younger receivers such as Mario Manningham (25), Robert Meachem (27) and Garcon than an expensive veteran like Vincent Jackson.

Yes, they can always use more defensive backs and probably will sign one.

The Browns want to build through the draft and use free agency to fill in some holes -- well, this team has plenty of holes that needed filling, starting on the line and at linebacker.

Follow Us

cleveland.com is powered by Plain Dealer Publishing Co. and Northeast Ohio Media Group. All rights reserved (About Us).The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Northeast Ohio Media Group LLC.